The invention relates to dental care apparatus and particularly to apparatus for brushing teeth. The prior art includes a very wide variety of apparatus for brushing teeth. U.S. Design Pat. No. 324,958 discloses a toothbrush having an elongated closed loop shaped handle. The user may press one elongated side of the handle towards another elongated side of the handle to change the inclination of a head on which the bristles are located. U.S. Pat. No. 3,214,776 discloses a mechanically operable toothbrush having a U-shaped handle. The user squeezes the opposed elongated legs of the U-shaped handle and the free end of one of the length is coupled to an eccentric member coupled to a shaft on which the bristles are mounted. In this manner the shaft is caused to alternately rotate clockwise and counter clockwise.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,273,207 discloses a toothbrush having and elongated handle. The inventor there and suggests that the conventional orientation of the bristles along the axis of the handle requires movement of the brush to an awkward angle. Accordingly the inventor provides two sets of bristles which are each offset from the axis of the handle whereby the user may brush both the upper and lower teeth simultaneously.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 122,815 discloses a combine toothbrush and tongue cleaner. The structure includes a closed loop of material that 5 substantially coplanar with a plane to which all of the bristles are perpendicular.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 358,259 discloses a scalp brush having a substantially arc shaped handle with a generally tangential head from which all of the bristles extend. U.S. Design Pat. No. 282,413 discloses a toothbrush having a generally J-shape handle. A head from which all of the bristles extend in perpendicular relationship is disposed in normal relationship to end of the handle nearest to the curved part or foot part thereof.
U.S. Designed Pat. No. 358,206 discloses a toothbush having an arc shaped handle. Bristles extend from one end thereof generally radially outwardly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,784 discloses a toothbrush, having a handle similar to a conventional toothbrush except that several elongated openings are provided within the handled to minimize the possibility of the handle being sharpened into a weapon.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,737 discloses a toothbrush having two closed loops within the handle. A common part of each of the loops is generally aligned with a set of bristles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,921 also discloses a closed loop handle having a spur extending from the loop. Bristles project From the spur.
While the loop shaped structure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,921 may be satisfactory for some applications such as the recited young child or infant it is not particularly suitable for use by adults.
It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus which will enable the user to comfortably and easily control the toothbrush while briskly brushing the teeth.
Still another object of the invention is to provide such apparatus which can be manufactured at substantially no increase in manufacturing cost over conventional structures.